Three ways to make smart connections with your audience

Posted on: 06/03/2013 By : Castleford Staff

When it comes to creating a content strategy, getting the right mix can be tricky.

After all, you have a number of objectives to work toward – you want to establish your brand's authority in your industry, create relationships with your potential and existing customers, share valuable information and spread knowledge. Of course, you will want to do all this while walking the fine line between informing and overwhelming – or else you will lose those coveted blog subscriptions, Facebook likes and Twitter retweets!

With all this in mind, it is no surprise that content strategy can be an overwhelming prospect for many marketers and small businesses – but fortunately, there are things to bear in mind that might help you maintain your sanity.

Authenticity is the best policy

When in doubt, keep your content strategy simple, consistent and authentic. After all, you want your readers, viewers and even the search engines to get the right idea about your website.

A great place to start is by establishing your tone of voice and some key words or phrases that might help your target audience find your site more easily – you may already have target keywords if you have an established SEO strategy, and if not, now is the perfect time to begin thinking about one.

Reach out

Next, you will want to think about the various social media strategies you can employ to reach out to your audience – these will vary depending on the type of business you do and the products or services you provide.

As a general rule, businesses that deal primarily with other businesses (B2B) tend to find that a strong website with an industry blog, as well as a presence on a professional networking site like LinkedIn is a good place to start. Meanwhile businesses that engage directly with consumers (B2C) may wish to take a more personal approach by posting on Twitter and Facebook.

Content worth sharing

Creating content worth sharing is the most challenging part of your strategy, but it can also be the most rewarding. Once you have determined who your target audience is and how is best to reach them, the next trick is to provide them with information that they will engage with and share.

From informative infographics to smart blog posts or even a quick social media alert to a new product launch or special sale, you'll find the clicks, shares and positive feedback you get will really pay off.